additive for Ultrasonic case cleaning?

[hc18flyer]

DANG stuff is expensive! Surely someone here has the secret formula? I know 'mums the word'! I was thinking simply a citrus based cleaner? Thanks in advance for your replies. hc18flyer

[GRid.1569]

If you can find Micro 90 it mixes with water at a 2% mix... I used product called Sea Green, not cheap but easily available over here.... I drain into a large screen wash container and let it settle... use it again (& again)

[Yodogsandman]

Lemishine from Wallymart.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'd just use a solution of pure citric acid and water...I think others will add a touch of dish soap

disclaimer: I don't use a ultra-sonic cleaner, I just use a old crockpot and solution of pure citric acid and hot water (3 Tblsp to a gallon). I bought 5lb of 100% pure, food grade citric acid from Dudadiesel for $15, probably a lifetime supply.


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-brass-cleaner

[dragon813gt]

I'd just use a solution of pure citric acid and water...I think others will add a touch of dish soap

This is what I use. Dawn really helps w/ cleaning the cases. I only use the US cleaner when processing new to me bottleneck rifle brass. The time involved for the results aren't really worth it.

[runfiverun]

before the citric acid everyone used simple green.

[ubetcha]

Citrus acid with dish soap with a
U-S cleaner is what I use. Rinse with cold water. Works good. Mix get pretty dirty and cases are clean.Then set them out in the solar drier(outside in the sun and wind).When dry they go into the vibrator tumbler.

[hc18flyer]

OK, will get some Lemonshine and/or citric acid. I usually rinse mine in very hot water, so the residual heat dries them off? Thanks, hc18flyer

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

if it's a hot summer day, I dry them outside, in the sun.
BUT, if it's wintertime in MN, I use the wood stove to dry them.

Also, I decap all rifle brass before they get the citric acid bath, bottle neck cases dry better without a spent primer in them.

[popper]

Product called Glisten - for cleaning disposals. Add a dash of lemishine to a pinch of Glisten. Cases are clean, PP are clean and easy to wash off. Glisten is the basic detergent used in Dawn & other detergents without the other additives. So far I've used maybe 1/4 teaspoon of it out of maybe 1/4 #. Life time supply for $3?

[pjames32]

Lemishine (1/2 tsp to a gallon) and a couple drops of Dawn for 1 hour. Rinse VERY well.

[Ktmrider]

I think I can add a bit of information to help out here... I work for a company called SevereClean Ultrasonics, we make standard cleaners that are small and cookie cutter designs. Then of course we make our custom equipment for customers around the world. We also sell a large variety of chemicals that ca be used in ultrasonic cleaning with a multitude of base metals and contaminations. There are plenty of things working against us from this fired brass, oil, carbon and lets not forget the dulling or tarnish caused by the oxidationto the brass from just being open to the environment. Do we have a chemical that will combat all of these yes most certainly, and we use this chemical at 3% concentration to clean brass like as close to new you would swear that it is. Here is what I can tell you about the chemical, it is acidic and there are a variety of wetting agents in it and surfactants that remove everything from fired brass including even some mud in less that 3 minutes in our cleaners. I can tell you this happens so quickly that the major manufactures in this industry indeed do use our equipment for their manufacturing of products, its fun meeting people in this industry since it is my past time. To see how quickly sonics can clean just use 50/50 vinegar and water then top it off with simple dish soap with a glug or two dropped in. Ultrasonics needs to have liquid that the surface tension has been released a bit especially when using a lower powered ultrasonic cleaner, the dish soap will help you reduce this tension. Make sure to run the water in the 130 F range and be ready with a fresh water rinse, the acid of the vinegar will continue to etch the brass is not neutralized. This is a cheap way of cleaning and for some people more than what they would normally care that their brass looked like. Good luck!!

[pjames32]

KTM...........somewhere in the citric acid thread was a comment about vinegar/acetic acid leaching some metal from the brass. Can you give us some input on that?

[PBaholic]

Teaspoon of Lemishine (Walmart) and a few drops of Simple Green or Dawn dish soap.

Now, the real secret...... Ditch the Harbor Freight Ultrasonic Cleaner.

Although it works OK, it only has 1 transducer and 60 Watts of cleaning power.

When mine failed, I bought a 6L Ultrasonic cleaner off eBay for $100. It has 3 - 60W transducers, and now cleans my own .45's in under a minute. And when I say clean, I mean the primer pockets are PERFECTLY clean. I have noticed that once my brass is cleaned the first time, it re-cleans the next time much easier. I make sure I get most of my brass back.

I pick up range brass every once in a while to replenish. This brass takes longer to get the primer pockets perfectly clean. I usually clean this brass for about 5 minutes, and re-clean the more stubborn ones again, except I set them in the cleaner with the pockets down. I notice the really bad ones come clean if they are sitting right above one of the transducers. Usually 5 minutes is enough for these stubborn guys.

Although there are smaller Ultrasonics on eBay, I got this one for the brass drain on the side. I runs to my drain, which really made life simpler.

[woodbutcher]

Yep.Ultra sonic cleaners work a treat.Last year a friend finally got out the one that he bought about 2 years previous.Used the solution that came with it.He had been trying to disassemble a carburator that had been setting on a shelf in his garage for about 20 years.I`m sure that if any of you folks work on your own cars,you know what a PITA it is to take apart an old carb.Well he set the carb in the unit and set the timer on the hold position.Got side tracked and remembered it about 2 hours later.That carb came apart like it was brand new with never a drop of gas run through it.He had previously tried for two hours to get it apart.That made a believer out of me.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[second chance]

I have been using ultrasonic cleaners for 40years, and I can attest to the fact that not all ultrasonic are created equal. "All" of them work better with heat, so if it doesn't have a built in heater, it will not clean as well as it could. I use a commercial concentrate called L29 from Rosenthal in Miami. I have never found a better or cheaper solution. The ratio is 40 to 1 I believe, although I don't measure mine. I have used 409 in the past, which cleans good, but much more expensive, and you never know when it's been "New Improved" with God only knows what. The standard test for cleaning effectiveness in a ultrasonic is to put plain water in, and hang a sheet of aluminum foil in the tank and turn it on for ten or fifteen minutes. If it's doing it's job properly, there will be a gazillion tiny holes all across the sheet. Pb, I'm going to have to check that cleaner out, the ones I use, have two transducers, and run in the $600.00 range from jewelry supplies. Of course they run most of the day, and do that for several years, but at the price you paid, replacing them sooner would still be cheaper.

[myg30]

" Now, the real secret...... Ditch the Harbor Freight Ultrasonic Cleaner." AMEN BROTHER !
I used one fer a few months in my basement fer rifle brass only while reloading and pushing that 8 min cycle button 20 times, draining the vinegar mix going to baking soda, then rinse etc... TURNED ME OFF to ultrasonic.
The roller tumblers came in and I though about it and just went back to media tumbling.
A GOOD ultrasonic cleaner with heater is really awsome and it works ! It's on my purchase list to buy before I retire. Pretty shinny brass is so much easier to find in the grass, then old dull brass
which is a pain in the _ _ _... butt !

Thanks fer the heads up on the cleaning chems for the US cleaner fellers.

Mike